At Zen Eye care, we believe in a local and global imperative to make everything around us better. From the impact that our products make, to the local merchant community we support, to the footprint we leave behind, to the non-profit organizations we support: it all transcends from a local scale to a global scale.
Zen Initiative
Zen Eye Care wants to be a major contributor for the charitable and sustainable values that make our communities thrive. Zen Eye Care is committed to organizations that promote education, humanitarian and social causes, local issues, wilderness conservation, arts and music, and overall sustainability of food sources and economics. We strongly believe that every dollar spent is a personal choice and when you choose Zen, we want that dollar to be re-circulated into the hearts of our community in the strongest ways possible.
At the end of each visit to Zen, we donate a corresponding amount to an impactful non-profit organization. We have selected four such organizations for your convenience that we believe make meaningful contributions to our community. The best part? YOU get to choose. In this way, everyone wins. You, Zen, and the Community.
COGGS Duluth
Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores. Their mission is to improve cycling opportunities by building multi-use trails that are sustainable, accessible, and provide a high level of recreational enjoyment. We support this mission to provide our youth with more outdoor activities and to bolster our local economy by bringing in outdoor enthusiasts.
Community Action Duluth
Their mission is to empower and engage our community to eliminate poverty, and create prosperity and equity in the lives of our community members. We support them because they provide meaningful work like protecting our local habitats. Eliminating poverty also means reducing crime in our neighborhoods.
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
DSACF administers more than 360 funds in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin, focusing on the Arts, Community and Economic Development, Education, the Environment and Human Services. We support their efforts to improve the quality of life for residents throughout the region.
Institute for a Sustainable Future
Their mission is to be a driving force in changing the way food is produced so that it is nutrient rich and more environmentally sustainable. They also tackle issues regarding climate change and waste management in the environment. We support their mission because the foods we eat matter to our health and to the health of our younger generations.
Local Options
At every turn, we try to buy and support our local businesses. Why? Because circulating your money back into the community is way more impactful than sending it out. Think about that. Who do you want to benefit from your dollars more? Rich fat cats on a desert island drinking martinis? Or your friendly neighbor up the street trying to pay their bills? Seems like a no-brainer to us.
Just to name a few:
Duluth Coffee: provides the yummy coffee here at Zen
The Tea Shop Formerly Known as Snooty Fox: provides the yummy tea here at Zen
Bella Flora: provides some of the plant-life enriching our space
Duluth Living Walls: want cool looking plant walls? look no further
Duluth Timber Company: provided the wood you see for reclaimed projects
Wolfskull Creative: produced our head shots and business photographs. even made Don look good.
Makers Mercantile: a gateway to some of our local artisan décor and fun events at Zen
Paper Hog: provides our minimal printed materials
Northern Trends: contracted our build-out
Feeding Leroy: provides a folktastic coordinator at Zen and helps feed a local pooch
Nick Adams: provided painting expertise/criticism
Contact Lens Programs
We’re giving our Contact Lens wearers a chance to be Zen as well. There are four major players in the Contact Lens industry. Although, we can prescribe and provide any of their products, we have specifically partnered with CooperVision because of their mindful programs.
The Rebate Donation
When you purchase contact lenses from CooperVision, they give you the chance to donate your rebate to Optometry Giving Sight. This is an organization that establishes eye clinics in areas of need around the world. Vision care isn’t just “provided” to an area, it’s “established”! This means more local jobs and better health care for underserved communities in the areas they serve. See more about Optometry Giving Sight here: www.givingsight.org
The Lens Ferry Program
This is a nifty program set up by CooperVision where, if you are fitted with specific brands of daily disposable contact lenses, their company will donate one eye exam to an underprivileged individual. And here is what you get in return:
- A year supply of one of the best daily disposable contact lenses on the market.
- Payments spread out monthly instead of one big sum.
- Quarterly supply of contact lenses delivered to your door.
- UV protection to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
- 3X more breathable lens than other leading brands
Volunteerism
We volunteer our time to local groups and we may even inform you when that is, via newsletters, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feeds. We promise not to send ads or bombard you with worthless drivel. That would be considered un-Zen.